EP REVIEW : Daze

Daze EP artwork.
[image from : Daze]

UK bedroom pop duo break out with their lockdown-produced debut EP.

2020 has been an unexpected year for all of us, to say the least. Months in lockdown has had various effects on our mental health, but it has also inspired a unique kind of creativity. Oxfordshire, UK two-piece Daze is combining these outcomes and making the most of the situation, by putting out their comfortingly candid debut self-titled EP this past Friday (31 July 2020). 

Through soft, floating vocals and inviting synths, the new EP expresses many themes of dealing with mental health issues, that many of us can relate to, especially over the past few months. Immersed in lyrical vulnerability, Daze muses over common worries of isolation, longs for our lives from before, and questions reality. 

Lead single "Concentrate" really says it best, as the chorus asks "Is this real life? / I can't really concentrate," reflecting how difficult it is to focus on our daily lives during such unusual times. Opening track "Plan in Hell" illustrates an image of the way things used to be, with "Wandering faces / Spacious places," before asking "Help me out / I've been working too hard on myself." 

Sonically, the EP captures that beloved bedroom pop sound, with a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. Closing track "Recover," a personal favourite, offers a melancholy melody over gentle, mid-tempo percussion, with warmly ambient guitar. 

Daze's efforts to raise awareness for mental health don't end with their lyrics. The band is using their EP to raise money for UK mental health charity Mind, with a Just Giving page you can donate to here. And, if you send the band proof of donation, they will send you a physical copy of the EP.

Overall, the EP's calming bedroom pop sound makes for an easy listen, but a closer look at the lyrics unveils a meaningful message that we could all find reassurance in hearing. Isolation has not been easy on any of us, but perhaps the creativity that has come from it can be our positive takeaway. And if this is what up-and-coming duo Daze can create alone in a bedroom during lockdown, I can't wait to see what they do in the future. 

Listen to Daze EP by Daze on Spotify and Apple Music.